Cartmel Masterplan
Encyclopedia
The Cartmel Masterplan is a fan name for the planned Doctor Who
backstory developed primarily by Andrew Cartmel
, Ben Aaronovitch
, and Marc Platt
, which they intended to restore some of the mystery of the Doctor's
background that had been lost through revelation of the existing backstory. Although hints were dropped in the last two seasons, the proposed revelations never materialized on screen as the programme was taken off the airwaves in 1989.
Some of the stories during the Seventh Doctor
's tenure were intended to deal with the lack of mystery by suggesting that much of what was believed about the Doctor was wrong and that he was a far more powerful and mysterious figure than previously thought. In an untelevised scene in Remembrance of the Daleks
, the Doctor stated that he was "far more than just another Time Lord
." In Silver Nemesis
, lines about the creation of validium and Lady Peinforte knowing the Doctor's secrets were meant to point towards this mystery.
The suspension of the series in 1989 meant that none of these hints were ever resolved. The "Masterplan" was used as a guide for the Virgin New Adventures
series of novels featuring the Seventh Doctor, and the revelations about the Doctor's origins were written into the novel Lungbarrow
by Marc Platt. However, the canonicity of these revelations is open to interpretation.
s had removed much of the mystery and strength of the character of the Doctor, and decided to make the Doctor "once again more than a mere chump of a Time Lord". To do this, he built on the established mythology of the Time Lords:
More of these hints would have been seen in the story Lungbarrow, which was at one point planned for the programme's 1988–89 series. Lungbarrow would have been set in the Doctor's ancestral home on Gallifrey, but the story was abandoned; elements were adapted into the broadcast story Ghost Light
, but none of the Time Lord backstory survived the transformation. However, author Marc Platt
eventually adapted his ideas for Lungbarrow (along with other elements of the "Masterplan") into a Doctor Who novel for the Virgin New Adventures
series.
The Other
was first mentioned explicitly in the novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks by Ben Aaronovitch as a shadowy figure in Time Lord history, one of the founding Triumvirate of Time Lord society after the overthrow of the cult of the Pythia that had, until then, dominated Gallifrey
. The other two members of the Triumvirate were Rassilon
and Omega
.
Of the three, the Other's origins are the most obscure, with the circumstances of his birth and appearance being a mystery. Like Rassilon, various contradictory legends surround the Other, some hinting that he had powers surpassing that of Rassilon or Omega, and some even suggesting that he was not born on the Time Lords' home world of Gallifrey
. Even his name is lost to time, which is why he is simply referred to as "the Other". A minor Gallifreyan festival known as Otherstide is celebrated yearly in his honour.
, who was presented in the television series' earliest days as the Doctor's granddaughter. In different versions of the "Masterplan", different explanations were presented to deal with this: according to writer Lance Parkin
, in the "original" version of the Masterplan, the Doctor rescued Susan as an infant from Gallifrey's recent past.
According to the novel of Lungbarrow, Susan Foreman
was the granddaughter of "the Other
," who may have been reincarnated as the Doctor. The Doctor, in his first incarnation
, traveled back to the dawn of Time Lord civilization and rescued a teenaged Susan, who recognised him as her grandfather. The Doctor did not initially recognise her, but knew that this was somehow true. This version of Susan's origins is reflected in many Doctor Who spin-offs.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
backstory developed primarily by Andrew Cartmel
Andrew Cartmel
Andrew Cartmel is a British science fiction writer and journalist, and former script editor of Doctor Who. He has also worked as a script editor on other television series, as a magazine editor, a film studies lecturer and as a novelist.-Biography:...
, Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Denis Aaronovitch is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty, Jupiter Moon and Dark Knight...
, and Marc Platt
Marc Platt
Marc Platt is a British writer. He is most known for his work with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.After studying catering at a technical college, Platt worked first for Trust House Forte, and then in administration for the BBC...
, which they intended to restore some of the mystery of the Doctor's
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
background that had been lost through revelation of the existing backstory. Although hints were dropped in the last two seasons, the proposed revelations never materialized on screen as the programme was taken off the airwaves in 1989.
Some of the stories during the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
's tenure were intended to deal with the lack of mystery by suggesting that much of what was believed about the Doctor was wrong and that he was a far more powerful and mysterious figure than previously thought. In an untelevised scene in Remembrance of the Daleks
Remembrance of the Daleks
Remembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 October to 26 October 1988....
, the Doctor stated that he was "far more than just another Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
." In Silver Nemesis
Silver Nemesis
Silver Nemesis was the 25th anniversary serial of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in the UK in three weekly parts from 23 November 1988, to 7 December 1988....
, lines about the creation of validium and Lady Peinforte knowing the Doctor's secrets were meant to point towards this mystery.
The suspension of the series in 1989 meant that none of these hints were ever resolved. The "Masterplan" was used as a guide for the Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
series of novels featuring the Seventh Doctor, and the revelations about the Doctor's origins were written into the novel Lungbarrow
Lungbarrow
Lungbarrow is an original novel written by Marc Platt and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Marc Platt. However, the canonicity of these revelations is open to interpretation.
The Other
Cartmel felt that years of explanations about the Doctor's origins and the Time LordTime Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
s had removed much of the mystery and strength of the character of the Doctor, and decided to make the Doctor "once again more than a mere chump of a Time Lord". To do this, he built on the established mythology of the Time Lords:
More of these hints would have been seen in the story Lungbarrow, which was at one point planned for the programme's 1988–89 series. Lungbarrow would have been set in the Doctor's ancestral home on Gallifrey, but the story was abandoned; elements were adapted into the broadcast story Ghost Light
Ghost Light (Doctor Who)
-Pre-production:Working titles for this story included The Bestiary and Life-Cycle. As revealed in the production notes for the DVD release, the story was renamed Das Haus der tausend Schrecken upon translation into German.The story evolved out of an earlier, rejected script entitled Lungbarrow...
, but none of the Time Lord backstory survived the transformation. However, author Marc Platt
Marc Platt
Marc Platt is a British writer. He is most known for his work with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.After studying catering at a technical college, Platt worked first for Trust House Forte, and then in administration for the BBC...
eventually adapted his ideas for Lungbarrow (along with other elements of the "Masterplan") into a Doctor Who novel for the Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
series.
The Other
Other (Doctor Who)
The Other is a fictional character in the expanded universe of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A legendary figure in Time Lord history, the Other does not appear in the television series itself, but is mentioned several times in the spin-off media based on the...
was first mentioned explicitly in the novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks by Ben Aaronovitch as a shadowy figure in Time Lord history, one of the founding Triumvirate of Time Lord society after the overthrow of the cult of the Pythia that had, until then, dominated Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
. The other two members of the Triumvirate were Rassilon
Rassilon
Rassilon is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In the backstory of the programme, he was the founder of Time Lord society on the planet Gallifrey...
and Omega
Omega (Doctor Who)
Omega is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. In the context of the series, Omega is known as one of the founding fathers of the Time Lords of the planet Gallifrey, and is a revered figure in Time Lord history together with the equally...
.
Of the three, the Other's origins are the most obscure, with the circumstances of his birth and appearance being a mystery. Like Rassilon, various contradictory legends surround the Other, some hinting that he had powers surpassing that of Rassilon or Omega, and some even suggesting that he was not born on the Time Lords' home world of Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
. Even his name is lost to time, which is why he is simply referred to as "the Other". A minor Gallifreyan festival known as Otherstide is celebrated yearly in his honour.
Susan Foreman
Retconning the Doctor's backstory was complicated by the existence of Susan ForemanSusan Foreman
Susan Foreman is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The granddaughter and original companion of the First Doctor, she was played by actress Carole Ann Ford from 1963 to 1964, in the show's first season and the first two stories of the second season...
, who was presented in the television series' earliest days as the Doctor's granddaughter. In different versions of the "Masterplan", different explanations were presented to deal with this: according to writer Lance Parkin
Lance Parkin
Lance Parkin is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who and Emmerdale...
, in the "original" version of the Masterplan, the Doctor rescued Susan as an infant from Gallifrey's recent past.
According to the novel of Lungbarrow, Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The granddaughter and original companion of the First Doctor, she was played by actress Carole Ann Ford from 1963 to 1964, in the show's first season and the first two stories of the second season...
was the granddaughter of "the Other
Other (Doctor Who)
The Other is a fictional character in the expanded universe of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A legendary figure in Time Lord history, the Other does not appear in the television series itself, but is mentioned several times in the spin-off media based on the...
," who may have been reincarnated as the Doctor. The Doctor, in his first incarnation
First Doctor
The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
, traveled back to the dawn of Time Lord civilization and rescued a teenaged Susan, who recognised him as her grandfather. The Doctor did not initially recognise her, but knew that this was somehow true. This version of Susan's origins is reflected in many Doctor Who spin-offs.